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G. W. HART. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

No. 54C 2s?. 'Patented N0v.`5,11895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GERALD IV. HART, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGN OR TO TIIE IIART d;IIEGEMAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming parl-of Letters Patent No. 549,237', datedNovember 5, 1895. Application filed March 19, 1895. Serial No.542,383.(No model.)

To aZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, GERALD VV'. HART, a citizen of the United States,residing at I-Iartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, has invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectrical Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the class of electrical switches that are moreparticularly adapted and intended for incandescent circuits and areknown as flush switches or cut-outs.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and efiicientmeans for holding the cap, cover, or flush-plate tightly in placewithout screws over the wall or holding plate of a switch of this class;but of course the invention is equally applicable to switches of otherclasses.

To this end the invention resides in a switch or cut-out having a cap orflush-plate for covering and concealing the mechanism and a wall orholding plate, with a spring or other elastic part interposed betweenthe cap or tlush-plate and a shoulder on the operating key or handlespindle of the switch, as more particularlyhereinafter described, an dpointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan of aflush-switch embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation with partscut in section to show the interior of the same. Fig. isaplan with theflush-plate and the handle or key removed. Fig. et is an enlarged detailsection of the wall-plate, iiushplate, handle or key, andoperating-spindle- Fig. 5 is a similar view of a modified arrangement ofthe invention; and Fig. 6 is a plan of the inside of a flush-plate,illustrating another arrangement of the invention.

In the views, l indicates a base, which is usually made circular inoutline, of porcelain or other suitable insulating material. This basesupports any desired number of bindingl posts 2, of any common'form, forthe attachment of the circuit-wires, with conductingpieces 3 for contactwith the movable poles of the switch. The base also supports a rotaryspindle 4, which bears the movable poles 5, that, either single ordouble, as the case may be, make and break contact with thecontactpieces connected with the binding-posts as the spindle is rotatedby turning the handle or key 6. In the form illustrated in the drawingsa single-pole switch of common form is shown; but the interior mechanismor. operating parts of the switch for making and breaking the circuithave no immediate connection with and are not material to the invention.

Arranged around the base is a sheet-metal shell 7, that protects theinterior mechanism from dust and dirt, and on the outer edge of this isthe wall-plate 8, that is held to the base by screws 9. This wall-plateis usually cast to shape of brass or other similar material and isprovided with perforations for the passage of the screws that areemployed to hold the switch in place in its socket in the wall of theroom or apartment in which it is located, 7o this class of switchusually being set into a wall, so the holding or wall plate is smoothwith the wall.

A highly-finished flush or surface plate l0 is provided to cover themechanism and the wall or holding plate. This flush-plate is usuallystamped to shape from sheet metal a little larger than the wall-plate,with its edges turned back and its center depressed or recessed, so thehandle or key will not have 8o to project out but slightly beyond thesurface of the iiush-plate. After the Wall-plate has been secured inplace by screws or other means this flush or surface plate of finishedsheet metal, without openings except for the passage of the spindle, isplaced over the whole and the handle or key then attached to the spindleby any common means.

In the form of switch illustrated the handle or key for rotating thespindle and mak- 9o ing tense the pole-throwing spring is provided witha shank ll, with a threaded socket that is screwed on the threaded endof the spindle. On the shank of the handle is a loose collar l2, andthrusting against this collar and the inner edge of the handle is aspring or elastic washer 13. This spring or elastic washer thrusts thecollar inward, so that when the handle is secured upon the spindle ofthe switch the collar is forced roo against the face of the flush-platewith a yielding pressure in such manner as to hold the iiush plate inposition tightly against the wall or holding plate and yet withoutinterfering with the free rotation of the handle and spindle foroperating the switch.

In the form shown in Fig. 5 the loose collar and the spring or elasticwasher are held in a chamber ll, formed around the spindleperforationthrough the flush-plate, and this elasticall T-held collar pressesagainst a shoulder 15 on the shank of the handle when the latter isattached to the spindle, so that the flush-plate is held in place closeagainst the wall or holding plate with a similar yielding pressure.

In the form shown in Fig. G the collar 16 is held by spring-arms l?,that are formed integral with the collar and are secured to the insideof the 'flush-plate.

By means of this construction a thin, cheap, and highly-iinishedsheet-metal 'flush-plate can be tightly held in place without screws orother visible means of attachment, so as to cover a rough wall-plate andprotect the interior from the entrance of dust and dirt. There will beno rattle to the flush-plate and the handle can be turned withoutrestriction. This arrangement does not require any special fitting ofthe parts and the plate is held tightly in position withoutnecessitating that the handle shall be screwed upon the spindle to justsuch a predetermined location as would be necessary to hold the platewithout this elastic arrangement. The handle, when provided with thisarrangement for holding the Hush-plate, does not bind if it tends toscrew inward farther than usual, and the plate will not be loose andshake and rattle it the handle does not screw in as far as usual. Thisinvention is particularly advantageous in the construction of gangflush-switches, for in those cases it is almost impossible to so makethe parts that the handles shall all screw on the spindles just thesame; but with the present invention alarge plate having a number ofhandles or keys can be securely held, with each handle doing its part inretaining the plate in position. v

I claim as my inventionl. An electric switch having an operating handlespindle supported by the base, with a cover loosely placed over the faceof the switch, and an elastic connection between the operating handlespindle and the cover, said elastic connection thrusting the cover witha yielding pressure toward the base and away from the handle,substantially as specified.

2. An electric switch having an operating handle spindle supported bythe base, with a cover loosely placed over the face of the switch, and aspring depressed collar between the handle and the cover, said collarthrusting the cover toward the base with a yielding pressure,substantially as specified.

An electric switch having a holding plate provided with means i'orsecuring the switch in position, ahandle for operating the switch, aiiush plate for covering the holding plate, and an elastic connectionbetween the handle and the flush plate for holding the latter inposition against the holding plate, substantially as specified.

4L. An electric switch havingabase bearing aholding plate, a rotaryspindle for moving the poles of the switch, a handle for rotating thespindle, and a flush plate for covering the mechanism and the holdingplate, a movable collar bearing against a portion of the operatingspindle, and a spring for thrusting the movable collar, substantially asspeciiied.

. GERALD XV. HART.

VitneSses:

H. R. WVILLIAMs, Scorr H. SMITH.

